


Cherries at the Ball

by flippyspoon



Series: Modern and Interesting: Drabbles and Ficlets [20]
Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-21
Updated: 2014-10-21
Packaged: 2018-02-22 00:54:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2488415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flippyspoon/pseuds/flippyspoon





	Cherries at the Ball

“Everyone wants cherries in their cocktails now,” Jimmy grumbled.

They were serving at the Crawley’s ball; thrown for…well, Thomas couldn’t remember what it was being thrown for. Who needed a reason really?

Jimmy was being particularly cheeky as of late, and now he looked Thomas up and down, smirking. “Is that a new waistcoat? It fits quite well.”

“What are you up to?” Thomas said softly.

They were always flirting now.

Thomas never learned.

Jimmy didn’t answer and instead said, “Do you want to see a trick?”

They should’ve been serving drinks.  

Alfred interrupted, striding over and sighing as he held his tray.  He had completed his courses at the Ritz, but had not yet secured a job.  Downton had welcomed him back…temporarily.

Jimmy rolled his eyes.  He was less than thrilled that Alfred was back, but Thomas noticed Jimmy didn’t compete with him any longer.  Instead Jimmy’s eyes were always on Thomas.

“What trick?” Alfred said.

“I didn’t ask you, did I?” Jimmy said.

“Show me,” Thomas said, even though he should have told them not to loiter.

Jimmy took a cherry from the dish on his tray and popped it in his mouth.

“Your trick’s to eat a cherry?” Alfred said.  “What’s so special about that?”

Thomas shushed him- he watched Jimmy’s plump lips screw up and turn and twist and then he opened his mouth to reveal the cherry stem between his teeth-a neat little knot tied in the middle.

Thomas felt a shiver up his spine.  

“How’d ya do that!” Alfred said.

“I have lots of talents,” Jimmy said, his eyes locked on Thomas.

“Where’d you learn it?” Thomas said.

“Here and there…”  Jimmy shrugged. He was sooo proud of himself.  His eyes glittered as he palmed the stem and pit.

“Want to see somethin’?”  Thomas said, his voice husky.  Everyone dancing around them became a blur.

Jimmy’s eyes widened and he nodded.  “Yeah.”

Thomas popped a cherry in his mouth and Alfred and Jimmy watched as he chewed around the tart flesh, bit off the stem, and twisted it around his tongue.  It had been a long time- he used to be quicker.  He kept his eyes on Jimmy as he performed the trick until the stem was held between his neat white teeth. Jimmy’s mouth was hanging open.

Thomas took the stem and pit out of his mouth.  The two of them stared silently, a distinct tension in the air, and Alfred glanced back and forth between them.

“I bet I could do it!” Alfred said.

Thomas barely heard him.  Alfred stuffed a cherry in his mouth.

“Imagine what our tongues can do,” Thomas said.

“Imagine what our tongues can to each other, “Jimmy said.

“You’re not-”

“I’m not jokin’.”

It was the most direct thing Jimmy had said yet and Thomas swayed on his feet.

Next to them, Alfred was choking.  His face turned purple, ladies yelped in alarm, and a crowd gathered around as Mr. Branson and Lord Grantham clapped him on the back.  Alfred leaned over, wretching.  Finally he coughed up a cherry pit which went flying across the Crawley’s ballroom, landing neatly in the décolletage of Lady Rosamund Painswick whose cheeks burned pink as everyone gasped in shock.

Thomas and Jimmy continued to stare at each other.


End file.
